The Truth to the Surface
by imaginecreatebefall
Summary: She doesn't know how or when it all hit her, but Regina finally realizes who she's meant to be with and decides not waste anymore time... (A simple fluff one shot that takes place in season 3b. Swan Queen)


It felt like the Gods knew of every painful, significant, or mind-opening experience that ever happened to Regina. She stood there in the chilling night as the sky's opened up above and dropped buckets of stinging rain on top of her. Regina didn't care that each new droplet numbed a different part of her body as she stood there frozen in the blackened night. In fact, she welcomed it. With each new splash of water against her vulnerable skin, a new memory presented itself, but in an entirely new, clear light. It all started with a simple touch. How could she have been so blind? But Regina was aware it wasn't that she didn't know what had transpired between them. She just didn't want to believe it. Pain, loneliness and suffering had taken over and ruled her life for over thirty years. It was all she knew; with the exception of Henry. He had opened her charred heart. He had shown her that there was more to life than to conquer all, and to thrive on the overpowering lust of revenge, but shattering those steep barricaded walls around her bruised soul was not an easy task. It took time. It took her.

Of course, now that Regina began to recall each memory, she could see that everything between her and the usually infuriating blonde began the first time they met. There was a connection. And it wasn't Henry. As much as Regina wanted to destroy her, another part of her thrived on their little run-ins. The blonde had challenged her in ways no one else had ever done before. It was intoxicatingly invigorating. And before she knew it, her legs were carrying her away from the manor. She could hear Robin calling after her as her legs began to pick up speed, taking her away from her home without giving him an answer. He was a good man, and although he shared many of the same characteristics as the Savior, he was not the one destined for her.

The town was quiet for a change. So much chaos had occurred after they first returned to Storybrooke, Regina didn't think there was ever going to be a down moment, but the only thing she could hear now other than the trickles of the freezing rain were her rushed footsteps. Maybe it was the sudden stillness of the night that triggered the now flooding realization or maybe it was the overflow of everything that had happened the last few years that demanded the truth finally be let out. Regina didn't know, and she didn't care. Her body was in spastic shivers as she stepped up to the apartment looking up like she had done so many times before. She wasn't really sure how to proceed, but again, her legs took her forth not caring about the nervous thoughts tackling her mind.

The door to the Savior's apartment flung opened before Regina could even lift her quivering fist, and a soft blanket was tossed over her before the blonde even spoke.

"Regina, why did you walk over here in the freezing rain?" The Queen brought her eyes up to Emma's seeing them clearly for the first time. Seeing not only the beauty of her emerald orbs, but their lives within them intertwining, finally making sense of each one of their past meetings no matter how brief they were.

"I..." Regina opened her mouth, but forgot how to form words. Her mind had rather take in the brushing of Emma's hands running ferociously up and down her arms as she guided her to the couch.

"Let me make you some tea." Emma said, removing her hands as she began to walk away. Regina immediately shot her hand out to snag Emma's arm as she shook her head needing the contact of the Savior. "But you need to warm up." Again, Regina shook her head, her voice still no able to return as more past encounters with Emma stormed through her memory.

"Regina you're scaring me. Are you all right?" The concern in the Savior's tone was passionately sincere, but wasn't it always? Wasn't Emma the only person to truly show concern for her when the rest of the world turned their backs on her. But all words were lost to Regina as she continued to gaze into the frightened Savior. Although mute, Regina somehow managed to take her hand that had snagged Emma's arm and move it down to the blonde's fingers, giving them a few reassuring squeezes to lighten the worry in the other woman's eyes. Emma took her free hand and placed it on top of Regina's. Their eyes met and Regina did what she could to share everything that was going through her with a gaze. Emma's face softened, but did she understand? Knowing she had to do more, Regina went to open her mouth, but again, nothing.

"Ok, I'm getting you some tea." Emma said standing up and breaking their connection, snapping Regina out of her muted state as she shot up from the couch.

"Wait." Emma turned and Regina smiled as their current situation mimicked their time outside Granny's diner the night she and Snow returned from the Enchanted Forest, right down to her own fidgety hand gestures.

"Ok, what's going on Regina? You're really worrying me now. Are you ok?"

"Yes." She replied looking down for a moment. Emma let out the air within her like a popped balloon as she took a step toward her.

"So are you going to tell me what's going on then?"

"Yes," Regina answered as a breath. Her eyes found Emma's again, her emotions beginning to pile into her eyes from the realization that Emma had been right in front of her this whole time. It all felt so silly now. And as her smile grew, her mouth opened finally able to voice what Emma desperately needed to hear, but they were interrupted by a knock on the door before Regina could continue.

"Emma," a voice called out from the other end. "We need to talk." The blonde rolled her eyes as she went to reply, but Regina brought her finger up to her lips and begged Emma with her eyes not to answer. This moment couldn't be interrupted, not now. It had taken Regina far too long to find her way back to this spot. She almost didn't know how to handle it, but she knew being interrupted was unacceptable. Thankfully, Emma complied and they continued to stare at one another as the other suitor went continued to speak on the other end of the door.

"Emma, I know you're in there. Please open up." Regina now took a step toward her,closing the distance. Their eyes remained glued on one another as their breathing began to tickle each other's faces.

"Come on Emma. I know things are confusing right now, but we both know deep down you know who, and what you want. You've always known. You've just been too scared to see it. Your whole life you've been so used to running from what your heart wanted, instead of lunging forward. Henry's changed that. So stop hiding and take what you know is already yours."

The voice on the other side of the door faded after that as Regina reached up and cupped Emma's face, their eyes refusing to blink afraid it would turn out to be a dream, but it was anything but that. The suitor on the other end of the door was right. The truth they both had been seeking for so long had surfaced over in both their eyes, diving into the very depths of their souls, not allowing either one of them to run any longer.

Regina's thumbs gently began to caress Emma's face, now only waiting for permission to show Emma what they both had just figured out. Regina moved in a little more their lips lingering over one another's. A single tear escaped the Savior's steel caged exterior, trickling down Regina's thumb and over her hand, warming everything within her instantly.

"It's true isn't it?" Emma whispered, signaling a soft nod from the Queen. Their bodies already knowing the question before it was spoken, along with the answer as Regina closed the distance. Her mouth grazed the tip of the Savior's lip, getting a jumpy breath from Emma in return, but instead of pulling away, she closed the distance and took Emma's upper lip into her mouth, their eyes closing together as they melted into each other's perfectly formed lips. A thrilling sensation swarmed through their bodies as a wave of magic jetted over them, sending them both back for a moment, their eyes widened from the undeniable conformation that had just soared through the room.

The overjoyed expression on Emma's face could have lightened the entire darkened night that had engulfed the town, and Regina lunged forward, the brunette not surprised by the Savior's quick reaction of catching, and lifting her up in the air as their mouths collided once again. There was no fight for dominance, no rushed movement, but a smooth, sweep longing of each other's tongues, each allowing the other to soak in whatever the other craved in rhythmic turns.

Emma spun around and carried Regina back over to the couch as the Queen's fingers tangled in the blonde's thick tresses keeping the Savior close to her as she was placed down on the heavenly cushions. Emma now on top of her sat up for a moment, her breathing matching Regina's as she gazed upon her.

"So, it's really true then?" Regina couldn't help but grin in return. "No, please. I need to hear you say it."

"Yes, it's true." The blonde smiled, but shook her head.

"No, really say it." Regina took a deep breath, as she cupped the Savior's face once more.

"You are my one and only true love Emma Swan." Emma hummed, soaking in the words with every part of her body before returning her mouth to Regina's, removing any lasting trace that was once the Evil Queen and bringing to the surface her one true love, Regina Mills.


End file.
